Apple Mulling Unlimited Music Plan

Put this in your rumor bucket for now, but the Financial Times says Apple is in discussion with the music industry over a possible "all you can eat" music plan for iTunes.

Apple is in discussions with the big music companies about a radical new business model that would give customers free access to its entire iTunes music library in exchange for paying a premium for its iPod and iPhone devices.

The “all you can eat” model, a replica of Nokia’s “comes with music” deal with Universal Music last December, could provide the struggling recorded music industry with a much-needed fillip, and drive demand for a new generation of Apple’s hardware.

It very much seems out of character for Apple. Apple has generally pushed the industry for "what it wants" and as it won't even go to tiered pricing, this seems unlikely - but who knows? Based on some calculations around the blogosphere, this could be gold for Apple. More to come.